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Primary/Transmission/Driveline/ClutchFind answers to general powertrain, primary and transmission. Have clutch issues and need suggestions? Post them here.
After having to adjust my old RK chain every 400 miles I decided to get rid of it and get a Tsubaki Sigma. Well after searching the inter-web I can't find one anywhere except for overseas.... (France) so you guessed it, no Tsubaki.....
So I started another search in the USA for chain manufacturer's. I started looking at all the different chains they made (mostly Industrial) and couldn't find what I was looking for so I decided to call..... The Lady on the other end (Jo) new her company and their products. I told her that I couldn't find specifications on a specific chain. She then asked me what was the application? So I told her for my Harley and that I was looking for a 530 chain....
Well she immediately told me that her company did not makes chains for motorcycles but did inform me that there was a company called D.I.D. another US company that did and gave them very high ratings. I love it when you call a company and even if they don't have what your looking for they still can help in some manner...
So a little more research and I found D.I.D. They have what is called a 530ZVM-X Super Street 120 Link Chain that has an average tensile strength of 10,400 lbs square inch. Which is rated almost identically to the Tsubaki but Made in the USA.. Here's the link if anyone is interested....
DID are well known in the rest of the bike market - where most of the heathens still live in the last Century and use chains! Just look at their website, as they have distributers all around the World. I haven't used them because I don't ride chain-drive bikes.....
For all of you that want to go to chain, here is what can happen with an aluminum rear sprocket. See how the teeth are folded forward.. This was with a 97" stroker Evo at 114 tq and 110 hp. I would suggest a steel sprocket and if you look at the first post, I listed a link for a very good chain.. Not sure if it's still available or not but it was the best chain I've used..
For all of you that want to go to chain, here is what can happen with an aluminum rear sprocket. See how the teeth are folded forward.. This was with a 97" stroker Evo at 114 tq and 110 hp. I would suggest a steel sprocket and if you look at the first post, I listed a link for a very good chain.. Not sure if it's still available or not but it was the best chain I've used..
You need to use a good chain and lube. My 116 ci Dyna made 124 HP and the sprocket has over 30000 miles on it and it still looks new. It's on its second chain cuz I screwed up the first.. My 131 runs an aluminum sprocket and has over 20000 miles on it still looks better than what you got.. When the sprockets hook like that, it's typically from running a stretched chain.
I could regal you guys with a long list of chain stories. Haven't used one in over 15 years so the tech surely has gotten better. Even with the higher end Tsubaki o-rings ( $200 range back then) I ran I was still adjusting about every 8-10 days and they were shot at 20K will religious care. Sprockets were a change at the same time deal, never found any that held up no matter the price or brand. These were cammed 80" and bit more healthy 88" engine build on a 4 speed drivetrain with primary belts. Never tossed one after the 70's. You can tell when they are getting tired as the vibration picks up noticeably when little stuff starts coming loose like mirrors and pegs rattling
Current brands & tech I'd be curious about your experiences, DID I used didn't hold up.
I just this summer finally tossed a foot tall stack of old rear sprockets been banging around in a bucket with me forever.
I use chains on my sport bike and vintage bikes. For the high HP stuff, either DID or RK brand X-ring chains are my go-to. The X-ring chains seem to last two or three times longer than a standard 0-ring. The X in the DID 530ZVM-X you found denotes X-ring so should be a good chain. Usually you have to adjust them once, maybe twice as they bed in initially, then they seem to run and run and run without needing adjustment. Once they start to need adjusting all of a sudden and then you have to keep adjusting them every few hundred miles or so, it's new chain time. I get 20,000 miles-plus out of them on a sport bike. Big inch Harleys may be a bit rougher on them, I don't know. My old flathead will probably never wear one out!
bad thing is most are over-seas sourced.
that fold over is from a chain that has enlongated or just a poor fit, the chain is riding high, eventually the the will become sharp to boot.
i can not find them now as most are now over-seas, largely because of cost as farmers want cheap. i always used combine chain as they are super tough and made from a diff steel. your mc chain sees very little loading where a combine sees over load at times.
every few thousand miles, i would wash the chain in solvent, then immerse in melted grease and oil mix and wipe as it comes out the can. i only used 2 sprockets and now on my 3rd chain which is not a combine chain since i cannot find them. the machine has nearly 200k miles.
i never used an aluminum chain sprocket.
This chain has 24K on it.. It's lasted longer than the motor did.. 131ci.. The rule I learned was if you can lift the chain 1/2 the tooth height, it needs replace. I can barely pull the chain off the sprocket. This is an aluminum sprocket and it will likely wear out before the chain does.. It's a EK Chain..
Last edited by Max Headflow; Nov 10, 2022 at 11:15 AM.
Reason: It's a EK Chain..
You need to use a good chain and lube. My 116 ci Dyna made 124 HP and the sprocket has over 30000 miles on it and it still looks new. It's on its second chain cuz I screwed up the first.. My 131 runs an aluminum sprocket and has over 20000 miles on it still looks better than what you got.. When the sprockets hook like that, it's typically from running a stretched chain.
I did, it was the strongest I could find at 10,600 tensile strength.. I just ride real hard.. One needs to understand that I broke 2 belts at 1"...
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Secondary Chain Advice......
